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01:34
Harrods doctor checked my ovaries and sent results to Mohamed Al Fayed, claims former assistant
Former Harrods employees claim their gynaecological test results were sent directly to the department store’s ex-owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
Speaking in the BBC documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, the former staff members claimed they were told to undergo medical checkups — including an internal sexual health test — as “an extra perk of the job” and because Al Fayed’s son Dodi “had a low immune system”.
One woman claimed she had a smear test and a doctor checked her ovaries.
“My results were sent directly to the chairman so quickly that by the time I had got back to my desk, he knew the results,” she alleged.
More than 20 women have accused Al Fayed of sexual assault, including rape.
No charges were brought against Al Fayed, who died in 2023.
Issuing an apology, Harrods’ current owners said they are appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Al Fayed and say that during this time they “failed employees who were his victims”.
They added: “While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation.”
The Independent has approached the Al Fayed estate for comment.
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